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Saturday, June 30, 2012

June Favorites

So I was totally going to post my final review on the Balm goodies that I bought from the last Haute Look sale yesterday, but fate conspired against me.

Not only did I have camera issues, but my netbook died on me and I dropped my cell phone and shattered the screen.

Not a great day in these parts.

But then I realized this morning that it was nearly July 1st so I could do a June Favorites post today and that cheered me up a bit.

I really love these monthly favorites posts. It's a lot of fun to share the things that I've been loving for some reason.

LAVANILA Vanilla Summer Rollerball

In June, I pretty much wore my LAVANILA Vanilla Summer rollerball everyday. I raved about this perfume when I first got it, and I'm still head over heels in love. It's just the perfect tropical scent for summer. I really need to get a full size of the Eau de Parfum spray - they say it's limited edition, but I hope they reconsider. It's too delicious for a limited run.

Guerlain Meterorites Compact Powder

Since my skin is usually dry, it's tough to find a powder that doesn't make me look cakey. The Guerlain Meterorites Compact Powder in Teint Rose 01 is one of the few that actually works with my skin. It claims to be both illuminating and mattifying - and you know what? It actually does do both. In the summer, I need to powder my foundation if I want it to stay in place but I also like my skin to have a healthy, glow-y finish - the Meteroties Compact Powder totally delivers in both regards.

Guerlain Meterorites Compact Powder in Teint Rose 01

It doesn't offer much in the way of coverage, but it does even everything out so your skin looks flawless. The Teint Rose shade is also perfect if you've got fair to medium skin with cool undertones. And while it is super expensive ($56 for 7 grams of product), it performs better than virtually any other powder I've tried.

And seriously, how gorgeous is the packaging?

One word of warning, though - the powder is scented, which may be a turn-off for anyone who's sensitive to fragrances. Personally, I love the scent. Kind of a sweet, rose-y fragrance.

Laura Mercier Sateen Eye Color in Baroque

NYX Ultimate Pearl Shadow in Salmon Pearl

This month, I've been obsessed with variations on brown eye shadows - and looks that I can pull of with just a single shadow. Since I have blue eyes, brown shadows with warmer undertones work really well at bringing out my eyes. In particular, I've loved Laura Mericer's Sateen Eye Color in Baroque, which is a brown with orange undertones and pretty golden shimmer, and NYX's Ultimate Pearl Shadow in Salmon Pearl, which is a shimmery rosy brown shade.

Laura Mercier Baroque (l.) & NYX Salmon Pearl (r.)

Both shadows are mid-tone shades, so I can apply them to my lids and blend into the crease for a simple one-color look.

For most of June, it seemed like I was always in a hurry when putting on my make so I used a lot of cream blushes just because they're easy to throw on and go. Josie Maran's Argan Color Stick in Love was my go-to cream blush all month.

I like the Argan Color Sticks because they're nicely pigmented and blend easily, but they don't fade as easily as other cream blushes that I've tried. They can also be used on the lips, so they're a versatile product to boot.

Josie Maran Argan Color Stick in Love swatch

Love is a pretty rosy shade that looks really natural on the cheeks. I feel like I've got to mention the scent of these as well - unlike the Guerlain powder, this fragrance isn't quite as pleasant. It's almost medicated, if that makes sense. It reminds me of a Vicks Vapor Inhaler, actually, if you're familiar with that scent. It's not an issue for me because I don't totally hate the scent and it's really only in the tube that you smell it, but I know some people are highly sensitive to fragrances.

Too Faced Glamour Gloss in Barely Legal

I'm pretty sure that I've mentioned my love for peachy lip products before. This summer, I've been wearing my favorite peach and coral lipsticks like mad. Too Faced's Glamour Gloss in Barely Legal was the perfect topper for all of them in June, and I'm nearly done with the little sample size I got a few months back.

Too Faced Barely Legal swatch

Barely Legal is a sheer, milky peach gloss that doesn't feel sticky on the lips but is still thick enough to last quite a while. I really love these glosses from Too Faced, actually. Definitely an underrated entry in the lip gloss arena.